


How to Save a Life (And help it Live)

by Spiderwhick



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, F/F, Finding Love, Fluff, attempted suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:51:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6028437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderwhick/pseuds/Spiderwhick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Max saves Kate and the two become closer than friendship actually allows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 : How to not drop your Cinnamon Roll on the floor

**Author's Note:**

> Lol, sorry for such a cliche title????? Idk, this is my distraction from SpIDEYPOOL for a bit. *lE GASP* Might post that!

  
Kate stood, the rain blurring her vision. It was cold, and she shuttered, chills cascading down her spine, as she processed her upcoming actions.

Tears began to drift down her cheeks, soft, singular tears.

A soft groan ripped her from her commitment for a split second.

Jerking around, a familiar girl was hunched over, arm held out, the other groping her temples.

"What're you doing here Max?" Kate spat, fearful of having to confront anyone else at the current moment.

"K-Kate," Max murmured, wiping her nose.

Kate shook her head, the newly formed tears making it almost impossible to see five feet in front of her now.

Wiping them just enough for her vision to clear again, she noticed Max taking small steps towards her.

"Max! Stop! Don't come near me! I will jump."

The other stopped completely, and straightened up. "Okay, Okay, I'm right here, Kate, please..."

Kate suppressed the expansion of compression in her lungs, as she felt nothing but contempt towards every fiber of herself.

"Oh Max... I know you want to help me... I love that you stepped up to David, but..."

She sniffled, drawing her sleeve underneath her nose to stop the flow from her runny nose.

"It doesn't matter now," she continued,"nothing matters now."

Max edged forward, challenging Kate's doubts. "You matter, Kate! And not just to me."

Kate frowned to herself. "I do want to believe that..."

"Kate! Your life is still yours, and we can get through this together..."

Max's tears began to gently glide down her cheeks, leaving salty trails of fear.

"Let me help. Like I helped when I erased all that crap people wrote on your room slate."

Max recalled the disgusting things written on Kate's slate. _'Will Bang 4 Jesus?' Who in their right mind would subject an innocent girl like Kate to this kind of shit?_

"I'm glad to hear you worry about me," Kate said, feeling a boisterous warmth radiate from her chest to her finger tips, despite the cold, pouring rain.

"That makes me feel... Better..."

And for Kate to be completely honest, it felt even greater than better.

Max dared to take another step closer, unbeknownst to Kate. "Of course I worry. You're my friend, Kate."

Kate tried to push the warmth away, but there was something alluring about Max's determination, drawing her slowly away from the edge, little by little.

"I did feel better talking to you on the phone..."

Wiping her cheeks with the end of her sleeve, she let out a small, shaky sob, before continuing,"I always... feel like you really listen..."

Max couldn't even feel her tears; the rain had picked up so quickly.

"Kate, please trust me. Come stand by me, okay? I can help you now."

Holding out her hand ever so slightly, she waited for Kate's response.

"I know I can."

When she received none, she continued.

"This morning I erased the weblink to the video. It was written on the shower room mirror..."

Kate's lungs burst at that point. Had Max really gone out of her way to make sure... no one else watched it...?

Breathing in, she exhaled softly, before regaining speech ability.

"A-Are you serious?"

The warmth was becoming increasingly harder to ignore. Kate had never quite felt like this before. The radiating pleasure of kindness enveloped to her cheeks, as they caked them in a rosy tint of blush.

"Thank you so much... The fact that you don't care about that video and would come up here to stop me..."

She sniffled before another small, tiny cry escaped...

"It means a lot..."

Max nodded, smiling a bit, as she attempted another step. When nothing happened, she began.

"I care about you, because I believe you were drugged. We will find out who did this and make them pay."

Kate smiled. It was bittersweet, the smile. So fueled by self-hatred. "You sound so persuasive, Max," she said sweetly, shakily.

"If only..."

Max braced herself, taking two subtle strides closer. "Kate, I believe you. Will you believe me?" Somewhere in between, she found her voice becoming rather desperate. There was a silent ache in her heart, seeing Kate stand near her potential doom,"Please... You don't have to to do this..."

In a sudden rush, Kate finally saw the tears Max was crying. She heard the pain in her voice. It felt too good to be true, and she had no grand idea why it did. "Max, I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up!" She spilled in spite of how she felt,"U-unless I put myself to sleep." There was severe hesitation in her admittance. "Then everyone at Blackwell can post pics of my body!" she cried, exasperated beyond belief,"I'm already on the Internet forever. No wonder they call it a,'Web'-- nothing can ever get out. Like my video... I wish I could go back in time and erase everything..."

As Max pondered what to say next - everything she's say in this moment would be crucial - Kate eyed her silently. Her tears were still freshly glistening on her cheeks, well kept clothing soaked from the pouring rain.

"Kate, this is our chance to beat the bullies," Max said softly,"That's the only way we can win against them."

Kate grit her teeth, relieving them after a quick second. "Can we really, Max?" There was a long fraught of melancholy in her next choice of words, it was severely disheartening to Max,"I don't believe in miracles anymore, either."

No way Max was going to let Kate give up her hopes and beliefs so easily. It was Kate's thing. "Now I do. And you're part of the reason why," she smiled, feeling a warmth rise in her throat in admittance to that,"If you come down with me, I can tell you more..." She tried to sound as inviting as possible to the idea.

Kate felt a strong burning in her lungs. It became somewhat difficult to breathe. It was something Kate didn't really know how to describe. It was tearing her apart, in the best possible way. It was an amazing feeling. "You're such a good person, Max," she quivered,"Even if you are full of crap. But I'll come with you...

You're my friend." There was a hint of quiet doubt.

"Forever. Can we hug on it?" Max asked, inching forward.

Kate felt it again. the defense rising in her. She tried her absolute hardest to deny the phony feeling clouding her senses. How could she be so foolish? Max didn't care. Nobody did.

"No!" She spat, causing Max to respectively back up cautiously. "Nobody cares about me! Nobody..."

Max scrunched up her eyebrows. "Kate, I saw that card from your father. You can count on him. He clearly loves you, without question."

Kate sniffled,"Dad does care... Even if I hurt him..." She said, sarcastically happy. "He's the only one I know who believes in me."

Max held out her hand. And seemingly, it felt Kate'd found the answer. There was someone who cared...

Kate inched forward, towards Max, reaching out slowly, hesitantly, trying to deny and deny. No.

Stop.

She didn't deserve this, she needed to jump.

Max didn't actually care.

How could she've considered love for even a second?

At that, she paused. Love?

Suddenly, she grabbed Max's hand collapsed at her feet, realization surging through her. How could she... But... Love?

Was there truly something more to live for now?

"I'm sorry... Sorry," she muttered apologetically, tear soaked vocals.

"What are you talking about?" Max giggled carefully, softly continuing,"You saved me from talking in class."

Kate just remained silent, staring at the wet concrete beneath her.

Love?

She was so hung up on it. How? What was it? And why?

Looking up at Max, Max gave her an apologetic smile, contorting into a smile of accomplishment and... Praise?

And then, like always, she's reminded, how, what and why she loved Max.

And what better reason to live, than to live for the one you love, if they love you just as much?


	2. How to scorch your Cinnamon Roll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kate Marsh doesn't actually curse, she just says stuff like,"Darn it," or,"Ahh, sausages." Idk something along the lines of a second grader's curses.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's a soft click at the door and Kate shifts her weight onto her left leg, twisting to turn to the source of the noise.

An auburn headed cutie pokes her head though the door, eyes scanning the room before they land on a glowing Kate Marsh, sitting on her roller chair at her desk.

"Good Morning, Kate," Max smiles, careful not to raise her voice, in fear of shattering Kate's flawless, porcelain skin.

Kate's still in her pajamas, some gray capris reaching her mid calves and a pastel yellow shirt.

"Morning, Max."

Max took her gentle words as an invitation, scooting softly into the quaint room. Kate's small rabbit sipped through the foot long water silo on the cage, muzzle vibrating posthaste.

Max set her bag down on the small coffee table in front of Kate's couch, Kate's eyes enveloping Max's every move.

"Ready for 3 O'Clock tea?"

Kate nodded, placing the bookmark in her hand gingerly into the book she was reading. Upon closer inspection, Max smiled when Kate closed the book and the cover revealed it was the Bible.

 _Never let go, Kate!_ Max thinks, half quoting the Titanic and half just glad Kate hadn't truly given up hope.

Kate stood and opened her small cupboard next to her desk and pulled out two bottled waters, placing them on the desk. Promptly after, she grasped her coffee maker and placed it too next to the bottles.

After watching Kate set up, she noted Kate lacked loquacity, which was a curse and a gift in its own way.

_Gift: One on one, thought out conversations._

_Curse: Awkward Silences..._

As spaced out as she was, the yelp of the coffee machine managed to whip her back to reality. _No, Max! Coffee machines don't cry out in pain._

Eyes careening to Kate, she beheld a girl on the verge of absolute tears clutching her own hand. Max could feel the pristine curses coming in low whimpers out of Kate's thin lips, and tears about ready to pour.

Max really did hate moments like these. Standing up, she paced quickly to Kate, look of worry eating her face. "Kate! Are you alright?"

Kate nodded, but her tears didn't digress, for when she looked up at Max, they poured out all at once.

"What happened?"

Kate let out a shaky breath, and maintained a surprisingly steady voice. "Ah- I just- burned my hand."

Max took her hand without hesitance, turning it over to run her fingers across her palm.

Kate whimpered, biting the inside of her cheek.

Max, studying the palm with worry, and relaxed when she concluded it was only a mild burn. Thanking the heavens, she began to gently blow on the raw, reddened skin.

Kate gasped silently, the feel on her irritated skin relieving.

A small silence is achieved, as Max's low breath against Kate's palm is all that's heard.

Clearing her throat and rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, Kate began,"Sorry, Max. About- er- being a total klutz."

Max looked up, and gave Kate a small smile, one that made the ends of her eyes wrinkle just a bit. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another-"

"-In love. Ephesians 4:2."

Kate held Max's eyes and her own breath. _Love? Oh._

"I-" she began again, swallowing awkwardly,"Didn't know you were-uh- verse savvy, if you'd c-call it that. Didn't even know you go to church."

"Well, I mean, I don't go to church, but my grandma was very religious. She used to read to me from the Bible when I'd come over. When she passed, she gave it to me, and I still have it. I still read a from it once in a while."

Kate nodded, swallowing inwardly this time, averting her gaze from Max again.

 _Was that too bold? Come on, Max. Take it down some notches!_ As Max scolded herself, Kate felt the pale pink seep from her cheeks, but not completely. She too scolded herself for feeling things she didn't want to feel.

After Kate was well over okay, they continued with their scheduled tea time, as Kate grabbed the pitcher-carefully this time- and poured it into some China she'd received from her father.

She still remembered the card that came in the pretty mint green wrapping. She smiled warmly.

Pouring the tea, she gave Max a cup, and they both sat, admiring one another in secret between sips of tea, and conversations, whilst small muffin crumbs dribbled out of their mouths. Quite content, the two enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in each other's presence.

**Author's Note:**

> *I HATE SPIDEYPOOL*  
> *I HATE SPIDEYPOOL*  
> *HATE SPIDEYPOOL*  
> *SPIDEYPOOL*  
> *SHIT*


End file.
